The oldest child of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. has died.
Yolanda Denise King, 51, died late Tuesday night in Santa Monica, Calif., according to family.
"This has rocked us," said Isaac Newton Farris Jr., president and CEO of the King Center and the cousin of Yolanda King. "We did not see this coming. We are grounded in faith and we are calling on that right now." A spokesman for the King Center, Steve Klein, said the family suspects the cause of death was a heart problem. An investigator with the Los Angeles County coroner's office said it was not planning an autopsy. Alveda King, another cousin, said Yolanda was meeting with her brother, Dexter King, at the home of a friend, when she collapsed and died.
Ms. King, known since childhood as Yoki, was an actor and producer.
"She was a princess and she walked and carried herself like a princess," said the Rev. Joseph Lowery, one of the King family's closest friends. "She was a reserved and quiet person who loved acting." Lowery had known Ms. King since her birth.
"I have known her since she was a child. I saw her grow up and come into her own as a beautiful, charming, gracious woman. It is unbelievable that she has left us," said U.S. Rep. John Lewis (D-Atlanta), also a member of King's inner circle. Lewis said Yolanda King would be "deeply missed, not just by her family, but friends and many other people who saw her grow up in the early days of the civil rights movement. He said he last saw her at the massive Easter service held by New Birth Missionary Baptist Church at the Georgia Dome. "She looked well," said Lewis, adding that he had no idea that Yolanda King might have been ill. "She gave me a hug. To Atlanta, to the southern region, to the nation, we have lost a strong spokesperson for peace, non-violence and the call for human rights."
Rowena Joyner, who lives in Atlanta's Old Fourth Ward neighborhood, stopped by the nearby King Center on Auburn Avenue Wednesday morning after hearing the news. Joyner, 42, pulled from her knapsack an autographed copy of Ms. King's book, "Embracing Your Power in 30 Days." "Looking at her eyes, I'll never forget," Joyner said. "It's like looking into her father's eyes." Joyner said that in spring 2006, she had stayed in the same San Rafael, Calif., hotel as Ms. King, who was in town to speak at a Jewish community center. Joyner left a message for Ms. King and the next day, Ms. King called her and let Joyner have a picture made with her. "That's how loving and personable she was," Joyner said. "She was awesome. I'm really saddened by [her death]."
Maurice Blair and Brandon Johnson, both 27-year-old Midtown residents, also came to the King Center. "It's sad. She was trying to continue the legacy of her parents," Blair said.
Lucille Grinnell, 73, of Lithonia, brought her friend, Pat Schoop, 59, who was visiting from Eatonville, Wash. They had planned to tour the King birthplace, but paused at the tomb. Both said they were surprised she died at such a young age. "Hopefully, she's saved and is gone to be with the Lord," Grinnell said.
King was born in 1955 in Montgomery, Ala., and was an infant when her home was bombed during the turbulent civil rights era. As an actress, she appeared in numerous films and played Rosa Parks in the 1978 miniseries "King." She also appeared in "Ghosts of Mississippi." She founded a production company called Higher Ground Productions. She was also an author and advocate for peace and nonviolence.
She is survived by her sister, the Rev. Bernice King; two brothers, Martin Luther King III and Dexter Scott King; and an extended family...
via Blind Prophecy 2.0
Yolanda King (at the 2006 Out & Equal Workplace Summit in Chicago):
In the 1950s and 60s, African-American men and women made some choices--often dangerous ones--and they were joined by men and women of goodwill, gay and straight, from all races and backgrounds, and together, tremedous progress was made toward the betterment of our nation.
The civil rights movement served as the inspiration and paved the way for all the movements for human rights which followed it--the women's movement, the peace movement, and, of course, the rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans.
We have come a long way. And while the scars and stains of racism remain, the fact is, racial discrimination is no longer legal. However, discrimination under the rule of law still exists. If you are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender, you do not have the same rights as other Americans. You cannot marry. And while there has been some progress, thanks to the work this organization [Out & Equal Workplace Advocates] in the workplace, you still face discrimination in the workplace, and in our armed forces. For a nation that prides itself on liberty, justice and equaity for all, this is totally unacceptable....
